Rapid characterization of apricot fruit quality using near and mid-infrared spectroscopy: study of the model robustness

International audienc

Isolation and characterization of antagonists for the biocontrol of the postharvest wound pathogen Botrytis cinerea on strawberry fruits

International audienceAntagonistic bacteria and yeasts were isolated from the epiphytic flora of stored strawberry fruits and evaluated for their ability to protect strawberry fruit wounds after harvest against Botrytis cinerea. Among selected potential antagonists, three strains of Candida reukaufii (5L3, 10CL4, 10L2) and one strain of Candida pulcherima (10L8) still protected fruit wounds when applied at 10(3) CFU/wound, reducing lesion or conidiophore development. In the same conditions, two Enterobacteriaceae (10B1, 5B4) highly reduced pathogen development. Strain 5B4 was still highly inhibitory when inoculated at 10(2) CFU/wound. The six strains applied on fruits did not produce any significant change in color, brightness, and firmness of fruits. The two yeasts, 5L3 and 10L8, and particularly the two bacteria, 5B4 and 10B1, were selected for further studies. The four antagonists effectively colonized fruit wounds and strongly inhibited spore germination of B, cinerea in vitro. The bacterial cells surrounded the germinating spores of B. cinerea and attachment of 5L3 cells on germinating spores were additionally observed. Bacterial antagonists, particularly the strain 5B4, multiplied and rapidly used carbohydrates in strawberry fruit juice despite the low pH (pH 3.5). The efficiency of the bacterial antagonists on fruit wounds was related to their growth and nutritional properties

Inhibition of apricot ethylene biosynthesis by CO2

3 p. (+ poster)International audienceDue to a large amount of 'Bergeron' apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) production (around 70 000 tons, nearly 50% of the French apricot production), this variety is frequently commercialized after cold storage at 1°C. Problem of chilling-injuries and/or quick evolution after cold storage are observed. Treatment with an ethylene inhibitor combined with a higher storage temperature could be a solution to maintain fruit quality up to the consumption. The objective of this study was to evaluate the practical and theoretical impact of CO2 treatment during a short storage period at 10°C

Rapid and non-destructive analysis of apricot fruit quality using FT-near-infrared spectroscopy

International audienceA non-destructive optical method based on near-infrared spectroscopy has been used for the evaluation of apricot fruit quality. Diffuse reflectance measurements (800–2500 nm), physical, physiological and biochemical measurements were performed individually on 877 apricot fruits from eight contrasted cultivars harvested at different ripening stages. Relationships between spectral wavelengths and quality attributes were evaluated by application of chemometric techniques based on partial least squares (PLS) on fruit set divided randomly into two groups: 598 fruits for calibration and 279 for validation. Good prediction performance was obtained for soluble solids and titratable acidity with correlation coefficients of 0.92 and 0.89 respectively and root mean square errors of prediction of 0.98% Brix and 3.62 meq 100 g−1 FW respectively. For the other quality traits such as firmness, ethylene, individual sugars and organic acids, the prediction models were not satisfactorily accurate due to the high error of calibration and predictio

Inhibition of apricot ethylene biosynthesis by CO2

National audienceDue to a large amount of 'Bergeron' apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) production (around 70 000 tons, nearly 50% of the French apricot production), this variety is frequently commercialized after cold storage at 1°C. Problem of chilling-injuries and/or quick evolution after cold storage are observed. Treatment with an ethylene inhibitor combined with a higher storage temperature could be a solution to maintain fruit quality up to the consumption. The objective of this study was to evaluate the practical and theoretical impact of CO2 treatment during a short storage period at 10°C

Carotenoid composition in apricot fruits of three cultivars from Italy: a preliminary investigation

International audienc

Pomological and nutraceutical properties in apricot fruit: cultivation systems and cold storage fruit management

International audienceWe have investigated the effect of cultivation systems and fruit post-harvest management on the antioxidant properties of apricot fruits. Trees of five cultivars ‘Tyrinthos’, ‘Cafona’, ‘Bella d’Italia’, ‘Vitillo’ and ‘Pellecchiella’ were cultivated under integrated and organic systems. Fruits were collected at full maturity stage and analyzed either immediately or after storage at 4±0.5 °C and 85% of relative humidity for seven and 14 days. The main pomological traits (weight, colour, flesh firmness, total soluble sugars, titratable acidity) and antioxidant properties were analyzed. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC by TEAC method), total phenols content (TP by Folin-Ciocalteu method) and carotenoid content by HPLC-DAD were monitored. Cultivar characterization by principal component analysis (PCA) indicated a large variability on pomological and antioxidant properties of apricot fruits. ‘Bella d’Italia’ showed better TAC and TP values compared to the other cultivars. ANOVA interactions between cultivar and cultivation system (organic/integrated) were found for the antioxidant properties. These interactions may help to select a set of genotypes with better performances under organic system, which in our study might be indicated in ‘Cafona’ and ‘Bella d’Italia

An integrated apricot breeding program in France joining CEP Innovation - Centrex and INRA.

International audienc

Inheritance of fruit quality traits in apricot progenies

International audienc